KIRKUS REVIEW

In fictional Sangui City, Kenya,
lives 16-year-old Tina, a black Congolese refugee. Tina has two purposes
in life: take care of her mixed-race half sister, Kiki, and avenge their mother’s
death. Five years ago, Mama was murdered, and Tina believes the culprit can
only be the rich and corrupt Mr. Greyhill, her mother’s white former employer
and lover. To survive, Tina has embedded herself as the wiliest of thieves
within the ranks of the Goondas, a powerful gang in the city. After a Goonda
heist on Mr. Greyhill goes wrong, Tina finds herself in cahoots with his mixed-race
son, Michael, to find the true murderer. Michael wants to prove it wasn’t his
father, and Tina goes along with it so that she can resume her plan for
vengeance. Along with her black tech genius partner in crime, Boyboy, they find
themselves in the depths of Congo, looking for answers that could cost them
their lives. The narrative is guided by Tina's rules for survival, which reveal
a strong yet vulnerable character. While much of the novel is
fictionalized, it exposes both the very real corruption and greed of the
mining industry in Congo and the women who pay the price. The novel is peppered
with Swahili words and phrases, and Anderson makes an effort to paint a picture
of the country.

A story full of twists and turns,
proving nothing is ever as black and white as it may seem. (glossary) (Thriller. 12-16)

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